


Half of my heart

by marriedmalum



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: First Kiss, Happy Ending, Homophobia, M/M, Minor Violence, Sad parts, Song fic, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 06:37:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10530945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marriedmalum/pseuds/marriedmalum
Summary: He was right in the middle of the song when a boy about his age tumbled into his backyard through a hedge. When Michael stopped playing and looked up, he was met with two beautiful brown eyes staring at him. The boy was quick to tell him to keep going and that he liked his song. After it was over, Michael learned that the boy’s name was Calum and just like that he found his third home.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maluminspace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maluminspace/gifts).



> Based on John Mayer's "Half of my Heart" (italics are lyrics)
> 
> I wrote this for maluminspace on tumblr :) Thanks for encouraging me to write again! I hope you like this!
> 
> Also I do not own the song, 5SOS or any of the people in the story :)

_I was born in the arms of imaginary friends  
Free to roam, made a home out of everywhere I've been_

 

Michael never had any friends when he was younger. He only had a tree house and imaginary friends. He would roam his backyard and would perform in front of empty seats with a pretend guitar, sometimes going in the tree house to draw all his friends on the walls. He called it his second home.

 

  
_Then you come crashing in, like the realest thing  
Trying my best to understand all that your love can bring_

 

When he was eight, he put on a show with a new acoustic guitar his parents gifted him. He was right in the middle of the song when a boy about his age tumbled into his backyard through a hedge. When Michael stopped playing and looked up, he was met with two beautiful brown eyes staring at him. The boy was quick to tell him to keep going and that he liked his song. After it was over, Michael learned that the boy’s name was Calum and just like that he found his third home.

 

_Oh half of my heart's got a grip on the situation  
Half of my heart takes time_

 

Being friends with a real person was difficult for Michael at first, simply because Calum was different than him and he actually could have a conversation with someone that wasn’t himself or an imaginary person that always agreed with him. Over time, Calum taught him that it was okay to be himself and that being a little weird was okay.

  
_Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you_  
_That I can't keep loving you (can't keep loving you)_  
_Oh, with half of my heart_

 

They grew up being two peas in a pod, but sometimes Michael felt like he was holding Calum back. When they were thirteen, Calum had so many other friends at school and was the star of the soccer team. Michael started distancing himself from the brown eyed boy because of this. He would stay in his tree house and pretend he wasn’t there until Calum left his backyard. Soon Calum figured out his hiding spot after actually ringing his doorbell and his mom told him where Michael was. Calum climbed up the ladder and knocked on the doorframe, scaring Michael out of his daydream. Calum asked to come in and Michael reluctantly let him in. They sat in silence for awhile, Calum looking at the old and new drawings and words on the walls waiting for Michael to tell him what’s wrong.

 

It took awhile but finally he asked how he knew he was here. “Your mom told me. Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Michael looked at the other boy and just shrugged, saying he comes up there to be alone. “Do you want to be alone now?” the brown eyed boy asked. “Not really, it’s kind of nice to have someone up here with me.” Calum nodded at this and asked what all the drawings were. Michael sighed and said that he made up friends when he was younger. Calum just nodded again and continued looking at them. “You wanna tell me about them?” Michael was surprised that he would want to know about them at all and hesitated until Calum continued to say, “you don’t have to, but I want to know more about them.” And that’s how they spent the rest of the night talking about his imaginary friends and laughing like they were eight again.

 

_I was made to believe I'd never love somebody else  
I made a plan, stay the man who can only love himself_

They were fifteen when Michael started to get bullied. He had asked a boy to a school dance and was rejected with a disgusted face and the boy and his friends beating him up before telling him that no one would want or love a gross gay boy. Calum found him in the tree house that night after his soccer practice. One look at his black eye had him rushing over to him, asking what happened. “It was nothing; I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” “Bullshit! Tell me what really happened.” “Can you please leave? I want to be alone. You shouldn’t have to deal with me.” Calum tried one more time but all he got was a soft “go away.” With that he reluctantly climbed down the ladder while the tears gathered in Michael’s eyes as he decided no one could love him.

  
_Lonely was the song I sang, 'till the day you came  
Showing me a another way and all that my love can bring_

 

The next day at school was harder than the last for both Michael and Calum. Michael avoided everyone while all the other boys taunted him. The boy that Michael asked to the dance even told Calum he was sorry for him that his friend was gay. At this Calum saw red, demanding what he was talking about. When the boy told him what happened the previous day, Calum pushed him against the locker as a circle of onlookers formed. “What did you say?” The boy still looked cocky and replied, “I said that I’m sorry that you have a gross gay boy for a friend” Calum angrily pushed him again before aiming a fist right to his jaw, making the boy cry out and a teacher separated them, taking them both to the principal’s office. On the way there, Calum saw Michael with a shocked look on his face as he quickly walked away and out of the school.

 

Later that day, Calum showed up to the tree house. He walked in and sat right next to Michael who had been writing something down in his notebook. When he heard Calum, he set it aside and waited. Calum spoke up saying, “You wanna tell me what happened?” Michael looked at him confused, “You already know what happened.” Calum let out a puff of air, “Yeah I heard what went down, but what I want to know is why you didn’t tell me you liked boys. I thought we told each other everything. What happened that you thought I’d be mad at you?”

 

Michael had been worried about what his friend would say about him liking boys and was afraid he wouldn’t want to be friends anymore, but at this he was confused, he still wanted to be friends? So he started to tell the story of when he knew he liked boys and as he was telling it, silent tears were running down his face. When he was done, he kept his head bowed, looking at the floor and waiting for Calum to take back what he said and leave. However, Calum just tilted his head up and wiped the tears off his cheeks carefully before hugging him and telling him it was okay and that he didn’t see him any different than before. Michael broke down in his arms, letting Calum hold him until he fell asleep in the tree house, hoping that they’d be okay.

 

The next morning he woke up disoriented and with a blanket over him.  He looked around and realized he was still in the tree house and that Calum had left. He started tearing up again as the memories rushed back to him. How could Calum want to be friends after this? He probably didn’t and that’s why he left. He was on the verge of an anxiety attack when Calum came in the tree house with bowls, spoons, milk, and cereal. Once he saw Michael he quickly put it all down and rushed over to him, holding him and telling him that it’s okay and that he’s there now.

 

Michael’s panic slowly subsided and he spoke up anxiously, “I thought you left.” Calum’s heart broke at that and he was quick to pull away from him to look at his face, “No! I only left to get us breakfast! I’m not going anywhere!” Michael calmed down a bit and embarrassingly said “oh” softly, still looking down. Calum started rubbing is back softly until Michael completely calmed down. Once he was, Calum asked, “would you like cereal? I brought fruity pebbles and cocoa puffs because I didn’t know which one you’d want." Michael let out a little laugh before he chose fruity pebbles. Calum got up and prepared them both their cereal and handed Michael his bowl before he sat down with his. They ate in silence and when they were done Calum cleaned up and looked at Michael thinking of how cute his bed head was. He really hadn’t wanted to leave him this morning, but he had figured they would need to eat.

 

Michael was back to awkwardly looking at his hands in his lap, trying not to think of how nice his friend is. Calum looked at him and decided to try to cheer him up. “You want to do anything fun? We don’t have school today.” Michael looked up and sadly shook his head, “no, the dance is tonight but I don’t want to go and be reminded that everyone hates me.” Calum looked at him sadly before putting his arm around his shoulder and soothingly started to rub circles on his back. “No one hates you; they’re just assholes that think just because you’re different than them that makes them better.” Michael closed his eyes and said “maybe they are.” Calum stopped rubbing his back and turned to look at him, grabbing both of his shoulders. “Hey, don’t let a few assholes get you down; you’re way better than those dickheads.” Michael still looked down at his hands and shrugged.

 

“Hey, look at me.” Michael looked up and Calum felt his breath leave him at the beauty that was Michael. He leaned forward and slowly captured Michael’s lips with his. Michael let out a soft surprised noise before he closed his eyes too and kissed back. It was a short kiss, but it left them both breathless, with smiles on both their faces. Calum put his head on top of Michael’s as he held him. They decided to ditch the dance and stay in the tree house, Michael playing some of his songs on his guitar and Calum softly humming along with him and distracting him with kisses.

 

They both knew they were in love with the other and secretly hoped the other was in love too.


End file.
